Chapter 198
Chapter 198
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 198
Chapter Title: Tree and Iron
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Watching the elves busily preparing for evacuation, I entered the castle. Arhil was still asleep, it seemed, as I couldn't see her anywhere, so I headed to her room and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
The knocking echoed a few times, and shortly after, Arhil opened the door.
"Oh? You're awake."
She was wearing her old nun's habit for the first time in a while. Of course, due to the cold weather, she had on black leggings instead of white garter belts, but they suited her just as well.
"Why the nun's habit?"
"I thought it'd be easier to win over the elves like this."
It seemed like a calculated choice on her part, and she stuck out her tongue as she said it. Since the elves were so busy, it didn't look like they'd have time to prepare meals, so I planned to have a simple breakfast just with Arhil.
However, as if she hadn't forgotten, Via came looking for me herself and invited me to join her for breakfast. It was just simple sandwiches and fruit drinks. They seemed to be made by simply squeezing fruit juice, but they were sweet and refreshing—very satisfying.
As we ate, I chatted with Via. She said the elves had accepted all of Judah's suggestions. Surprisingly, even after they revealed it was a human who proposed them, the elves only voiced minor complaints, thinking they were valid points, without outright opposing them. I'd thought they were completely inflexible, but this suggested otherwise. Or perhaps they refrained from opposing due to awareness of their guardian, Via.
In any case, with Judah's suggestions accepted, everyone had been bustling about since sunrise without any specific assignments. I'd vaguely anticipated it while watching the elves prepare for evacuation, but I hadn't expected them to take everything on board—it was a relief.
Judah asked Via, who was rinsing his mouth with the fruit drink, to take Arhil to Roengrim along with the other elves. Arhil didn't look thrilled, but given the situation, she said nothing.
It was a simple request, but instead of agreeing outright, Via proposed a condition: join the surprise attack on the enemy that afternoon. Since he planned to help anyway, he gladly accepted. With about five hours left until departure, Judah took a short walk around the castle with Arhil.
"What a shame~"
Arhil murmured as she walked beside Judah, hands clasped behind her back. Glancing at her sidelong, he saw her gazing up at the sky, her eyes full of regret.
"The sky's so clear and peaceful up there, but down here on the ground, it's all chaos because of war—I'm really sorry to the elves, even though I'm human too. If any of the invaders are priests, I'd be so embarrassed."
Judah nodded at her words. In fact, he'd considered going to Silan and siding with the duke instead of the elves. But when rescuing the elves from Uruun, his companions had been Jeanne and Arhil, so he'd decided to side with them. He hadn't anticipated Jeanne leaving like that midway.
"Disappointed you can't tour the village?"
"Oh, come on, don't say that. It is disappointing, sure, but more than sightseeing... I wanted to see how the elves live."
If he went out to the streets now, with the evacuation order in place, all he'd see were elves loading wagons. Moreover, though he'd rescued elves from Uruun and was currently Via's guest in the castle, humans were still objects of resentment to them—he didn't know what might happen. No need to invite unnecessary danger. In the end, they could only stroll within the well-kept inner castle.
Crash!
Just then, the sound of breaking glass came from somewhere. Heading toward the source, he saw an elf smashing bottles of fruit wine against the wall. The air was filled with a sweet aroma.
"Whoa, what a waste."
It wouldn't be so bad if they drank it, but watching them smash perfectly good bottles like that was, as Arhil said, truly regrettable. Especially since the fruit wine they made was the most delicious drink he'd had since coming to this world—the pity was immense. Unable to stand it, Judah approached the elf breaking the bottles.
"What are you doing right now?"
"Hm? Oh, you're Via's guest. As you can see, I'm smashing the bottles stored in the castle."
He seemed startled at first upon seeing Judah and Arhil but soon nodded as if remembering who they were, replying half-heartedly.
"We can load them onto wagons, but there are too many. We already have plenty to move inside the castle—we can't leave these behind. Via said to take only the ones in barrels and smash the bottles. Such a shame. We worked so hard to make them..."
The elf glanced at dozens of wooden crates stacked behind him, full of bottles. It seemed he'd made them himself. That's why, even though he could shatter them all with magic at once, he was breaking them one by one.
"...Then, how about giving them to me instead? I'll take care of all of them here."
"All these?"
"Yes. Completely."
"Hmm—how do you plan to carry them? Unless you have a subspace, I doubt you can take more than a few bottles."
Stroking his chin beard, he spoke, and Judah confidently showed him the <Bag>. As one crate vanished instantly into the hole opening in midair, the elf's eyes widened in surprise.
"Wait, wait. Put that down. Even if it is, I can't just give them away on my own. Go get Via's permission first. Then I'll hand them over. ...No, wait. Oh ho. Actually, come with me."
He grabbed Judah's sleeve and tugged, urging him to hurry. After going to Via, informing her that Judah had a subspace, and talking it over, he returned saying it was fine to take all the bottles. In exchange, he received an additional request to transport all the fruit wine in barrels to Roengrim later.
If you receive something, you pay a price. Nothing was free.
Of course, it was a fair trade with no loss, so Judah stored the oak barrels piled in the warehouse into the <Bag> and promised to deliver them upon arriving in Roengrim.
After securing all the wine like that, Arhil departed for Roengrim first. Fortunately, she was going with elves he'd built some rapport with from the Uruun rescue, so there wasn't much worry. Plus, with her affable nature and priest—no, now saintess—blessing abilities, she wouldn't be hated just for being human, even alone.
"Hm, nothing else you need?"
Judah asked Arhil, who was leaving for Roengrim first, as he handed her various things. Her backpack was already stuffed to bursting. Spare clothes, emergency rations that kept well just in case, various magic stones. It was plenty.
"Yeah. Hm—seems like I have everything?"
"Still, wait. Feels like I missed something..."
Arhil smiled quietly, watching Judah ponder with his subspace open.
'He's just so fascinating the more I look.'
No, not fascinating—mysterious. She corrected herself.
Judah exuded mystery when you just watched him. Like magic. Despite his young age, his speech and demeanor didn't match—acting boldly as if he knew the future. She felt like the whole world moved for him. Because of that mysterious aura, Arhil enjoyed and found it fun being with him. As she thought that, something wrapped around her neck. A soft fabric scarf.
"Oh, uh—here, this."
"Just in case, take an extra one. It might get cold since you're not riding in a carriage."
Fortunately, she'd be riding in the empty space on a loaded wagon, not walking. Still, it would surely be cold. Arhil felt warmth from the scarf. And then, quietly but suddenly, her heart began to race. Flustered by the pounding in her chest, her face flushed red.
"Ah!"
"What?"
"Oh, nothing. Hehe, you'll follow after those folks, right?"
Judah nodded at Arhil's question.
"I'll catch up in a few days, so don't worry and go ahead."
"Yeah. I will. Be careful—come back without a scratch. Of course, I don't think you'll get hurt, Judah..., but I don't want our adventure to end here. I want to see more places and have more experiences with you."
Judah smiled at her worried words. They were the kind that anyone would believe made them lovers. She seemed to realize what she'd said, letting out an "Ahh—" and bowing her head deeply. Her face was bright red.
[Companion Arhil's [For You] Rank has increased by one level.]
'Hm?'
As far as he remembered, this trait rose in rank based on the feelings when someone fell in love, granting additional bonus stats. Whether it was his actions building her fondness or the lingering effect of the hypnosis he'd cast on her out of curiosity and desire long ago, the trait's rank had gone up one. The system message sparkling in the corner of his vision vanished automatically after about three seconds.
'Was casting that hypnosis a mistake?'
Judah felt an inexplicable bitterness and guilt.
"Thanks. Don't worry and go on. I'll be there soon."
The elves were waiting. Judah waved to her. Slinging her heavy backpack, she cast a blessing on him before saying farewell. It would wear off over time and offer no effect in battle, but her wish for his safety felt sincere. He watched her turn and walk away, climb onto the wagon with the elves, and head toward the north gate before turning back.
"......"
On the way back to the castle, he quietly gazed at the evidence of her blessing magic seeping into his body—a brilliant light. Asmodeus's magic power had surely been purified by Gabriel, yet her blessing still carried a faint uplifting effect on his mood. If he received it in battle, he'd gain confidence in victory; if used alone together, it might create a strange sensation.
'Just my imagination?'
Uncertain, he shrugged his shoulders for no reason, even though no one was watching. When a passing elf stared, he felt awkward and hurried back to the castle to prepare for the surprise preemptive strike Via had mentioned.